You’re going the wrong way

Most retail establishments have had to change their in-store operations to deal with Covid protocols. Customers have gotten used to following arrows on the floor directing the flow of foot traffic through aisles and check-out lanes. And most people understand the need for these new protocols and procedures. So why do employees not follow them?

A customer visited a small grocery chain recently and observed that every customer diligently followed the arrows marked on the floor, but the employees did not. Generally employees are held to different standards than customers as they can enter “employees only” rooms, log on to different parts of a website and access inventory information that the average customer cannot. But when it comes to arrows on the floor, if all the customers are following them and the employees are not, the employees then get in the way of the customers and model bad behavior. 

Employees, whether they like it or not, are watched and demonstrate acceptable behavior. If they don’t follow rules, then customers will question why they have to. Besides the fact that employees not following the direction of the arrows on the floor defeats the purpose of having arrows on the floor at all if people are constantly coming in contact with others.

Employees must set an example and not be part of the problem; otherwise customers will not feel safe at your establishment and not feel comfortable returning.

Customer Experience has always been important for customer retention, but now health and safety has become a large portion of it. Show that your business cares about the health and safety of its customers and customers will return. Otherwise, they won’t.